Replacing CD R with CD RW in my Performa 6360

Taking apart any Performa is a bit of a challenge. Putting them back together even more so. They don't come apart with the same ease as an 8600. Unless you know what you are doing and are confident I would leave well alone.

Almost every mac made and every operating sysyem

As you undoubtedly realize, both the 8500 and 6360 use SCSI optical drives. The real problem with upgrading a Performa 6360's CD-ROM drive with a third-party optical drive is caused by the manner in which it's connected. Those Performas utilize a rear-mounted, slot connector for the optical drive's connections, that's part of the wiring harness coming off the motherboard's main connector slot. There are no individual cables for power, data, and audio. To make the connections, the drive's power & data ports use a single, plug-in adapter, as does the audio port. When replacing drives, these adapters must be carefully removed from the old drive and installed on the new drive. When the drive is slid fully into place, these adapters engage the rear slot for their respective connections. Because there is no standardized spacing between the power, data, and audio connections on optical drives, the adapter that was designed for the Apple OEM CD-ROM drive won't necessarily fit another brand. The adapters must align both horizontally and vertically, with the rear slot's connection points. If you want to upgrade the 6360's 8x CD-ROM drive with a faster Apple/Matshita drive (12x or 24x), that's a direct swap. If you want to install a third-party CD-R/RW drive that doesn't match Apple's hardware spacing, you'll run into problems. As for accessing the 6360's optical drive, you should remove the motherboard's rear (plastic) I/O faceplate, so that the unit can be stood up on end, without breaking off the release tabs. While upright, look under the overhanging edge of the main front bezel, and you'll see (2) slots, into which a large, flat-blade screwdriver must be inserted to pry up on the release tabs. Alternate from side-to-side, as you pry up, so that the bezel moves outward equally. Once it's popped loose, swing it upward to remove it. The CD-ROM drive is removed by lifting up on its sled's release tab and pulling straight out. Because it's plugged into the connector slot in the rear, you'll have to use enough force to initially free it. The adapters on the rear should be gently removed, because the power/data adapter tends to break easily between the two connectors.

The CD-ROM drive is removed
by lifting up on its sled's release tab and pulling
straight out. Because it's plugged into the
connector slot in the rear, you'll have to use enough
force to initially free it.

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Remember to take off the Hard Drive cover plate late first before trying to pull the CD drive out as (If I recall correctly) the cover of the HD plate covers the path of the optical drive sled. (It's Just one one Philips screw to remove so its easy to take off)

--Spire

What Jeff has mentioned, but is a real "sight gag" is the back of the drive when you get the old one out. Applied to the back of the drive, onto the drive's 50 data pin connector AND the 4 power pin connector is a circuit card that provides a card-edge connector to mate inside the Computer chassis.

If you are not warned about it, you may think you are completely sunk -- the drive seems to have a card-edge connector, and there are no drives available like that. Pry gently in small increments all around that card-edge connector and will come off.

If you are lucky, the connector spacing on your new drive will match the connector spacing on the old drive.

" According to your information/advice this job does not sound as difficult as I thought it would be."

Spire only recommended removal of the hard drive cover plate ("It's just one Philips screw to remove so its easy to take off.)" He didn't include anything else that would change what I previously wrote, in response to your question.

" OK, just slide in the CD reader/burner with enough force to re-plug?...Therefore it should be a remove the old drive and replug the replacement drive?"

As I previously indicated: "When the drive is slid fully into place, these adapters engage the rear slot for their respective connections. Because there is no standardized spacing between the power, data, and audio connections on optical drives, the adapter that was designed for the Apple OEM CD-ROM drive won't necessarily fit another brand. The adapters must align both horizontally and vertically, with the rear slot's connection points."

When comparing a Yamaha 4-4-16 ATAPI CD-RW drive to an Apple/OEM SCSI CD-ROM drive, the Yamaha's power port is set inboard from the right side a little more than the Apple's power port. Additionally, the Yamaha drive's audio port is also not in the same alignment/spacing as the Apple's audio port. Unfortunately, my older Yamaha CD-RW SCSI drives are in external cases, so I can't do a quick visual comparison. The only way to ensure compatibility is to remove the stock Apple drive and measure the spacing for the power/data ports (one combined adapter plugs into them) and the audio port (separate adapter) in relation to each other and in terms of their vertical & horizontal positions (up-down and left-to-right) on the back of the drive. Measure the Yamaha drive's ports and compare the results. If everything isn't an exact match, I wouldn't advise attempting to install it. If you force it, you may permanently damage the slot, the adapters, and/or the Yamaha drive. With luck, all three will match exactly, so that the (2) plug-in adapters can function as intended. With partial luck, the power/data adapter will match, and you'd be able to burn CDs, but lack onboard audio.

If it will not fit internally, you may ultimately have to place that CD RW in an external 50-pin SCSI enclosure.

You could probably buy something like a CD150 or CD300 Apple-label external SCSI CD drive off eBay, and put your drive in it.

If the Yamaha CD-RW drive has an internal cooling fan at the rear (like my Yamaha 4-4-16), I wouldn't recommend installing it in Apple's CD-300e/600e housing (which is a nice case). That Apple external case was designed for a CD-ROM drive, so it doesn't have a cooling fan. CD burners generate more heat, so you should look for an external SCSI case for a 5.25" optical drive, that has a cooling fan in it. That way, the warm air exhausted from the Yamaha drive (if equipped with a fan) can be drawn out of the enclosure, and not recirculated/trapped within it. Even if the Yamaha burner doesn't have an internal fan, it would still benefit from being installed in a case having one.